The Future of Manufacturing? No Assembly Required, Just Click 'Print'

A mechanical tube squeezes hot plastic into specific shapes. When the plastic cools and hardens, the machine squeezes out the next layer, and the next, until it's produced a complete house model, or prosthetic leg. It's magical to watch, its use is booming, and according to this wonderful New York Times article, it could be the future of manufacturing for some companies:

It is manufacturing with a mouse click instead of hammers, nails and,
well, workers. Advocates of the technology say that by doing away with
manual labor, 3-D printing could revamp the economics of manufacturing
and revive American industry as creativity and ingenuity replace labor
costs as the main concern around a variety of goods.